Ahasan Mohammad Shamim
James Cook University, Australia
Title: Detection and antibiotic resistance of Gram negative enteric isolates from green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Biography
Biography: Ahasan Mohammad Shamim
Abstract
Gastrointestinal disorders are one of the identified threats for mortality of endangered green turtle populations in rehabilitation
centres. In most cases, accurate diagnosis is difficult and broad-spectrum antibiotics are used for treatment. This study identified
and measured the antibiotic resistance of intestinal Enterobacteriaceae that were isolated from green sea turtles in northern Great
Barrier Reef, Australia. Deep cloacal swabs were taken aseptically from 76 green turtles ranging from juvenile to adult from different
locations including rehabilitation centers between June 2015 and January 2016. A total of 173 out of 371 Gram negative bacterial
isolates were identified as Enterobacteriaceae using culture dependent phenotypic, biochemical and molecular techniques. The
resistance against 12 antimicrobial agents belonging to 5 different antibiotic classes was determined using the broth microdilution
inhibition (MIC) technique. 18 different species were identified that represent 13 different genera of Enterobacteriaceae. The dominant
isolates were Citrobacter (18.5%), Edwardsiella (17.92%) and Escherichia (13.29%). The other Enterobacteriaceae members include
Salmonella, Proteus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia, Morganella, Providencia, Pantoea, Cronobacter and Raoultella. The isolates
showed highest resistance to beta lactam antibiotics (86.13%) followed by quinolone derivatives (49.13%), aminoglycosides (47.98%),
chloramphenicol (18.50%) and potentiated sulphonamides (7.51%) respectively. 27.17% isolates were identified exhibited multidrug
resistance. These included Escherichia, Klebsiella, Citrobacter and Proteus. Isolates obtained from rehabilitation centers were
significantly resistant (p<0.05) to the antibiotics except gentamicin, streptomycin and potentiated sulfonamides. The environmental
isolates recovered from the turtles of Cockle Bay and Ollera Beach showed significant (P<0.05) resistance to ceftiofur. The findings of
this study demonstrate that enteric bacterial flora of green sea turtles is composed of a wide spectrum of Enterobacteriaceae including
several potential zoonotic pathogens with multiple drug resistance. These findings indicate that in the future, it may be important to
investigate ways to reduce the level of multi-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in rehabilitated turtles before they are released back into the
Ocean.